Windmill



May 16, 1939. c. H. wlGzELL.

WINDMILL Filed Aug. 19, 1937 6 Sheets-Sheet l May 16, 1939. c. Hy wlGzELl. 2,158,606

WINDMILI.: I

Filed Aug. 19, 1937 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 nuenor 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 c. H. WIGZELI.

WINDMILL Filed Aug. 19, 1957 mmm- May 16, 1939.

May 15, 1939. c. H. wlc'azELL 2,158,606

WINDMILL Filed Aug. 19, 1937 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 jf i7@ By @Mao/2@ www fm Attorneys May 16, l939- c. l-lV wlGzELL 2,158,606

` WINDMILL y Filed Aug. 19, 1957 e sheets-sheet 5 Inventor By M M May 16, 193,9 C. H. wlGzELl. 2,158,606

WINDMILL Filed Aug. 19, 1957 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 77 l Inventor 33 'bar/es Eje/Z By @maa/5M @ma/w gun/um,

Hnrncl/s Patented May 16, 1939 UNITED STATES WINDMILL Charles H. Wigzell, Big Lake, Tex., assignorof two-eighths to J. C. Wigzell, one-eighth to Ralph Wigzell, and one-eighth to Alden Wigzell, all of Big Lake, Tex.

Application'rAugustlS, 1937, Serial No. 159,961

3 Claims.

i ent to the reader of the following specification.

In thedrawings:

Figure l represents a side elevational View of the upper portion of the windmill with parts broken away.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the head structure of the windmill.

Figure 3 is a section taken approximately on line 3 3v of Figure 2 with parts removed.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing therod plunger.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view through the rod plunger.

Figure-6 is a side elevational View of the shaft of the vanes assembly.

Figure 7 is a side elevational view of one of the planetary gears.

Figure 8 is an inside elevational view of the back plate of the windmill head.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through the packing gland.

Figure l is a fragmentary sectional view of the tensioning means for the tail.

Figure ll is a section taken substantially on line` Ii-II of Figure 10.

Figure l2 is a t'op plan view of the disc shown in Figure 10.

Figure 13 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on line I3-l3. of Figure 1.

Figure 14 is an elevational view of the brake shoe.

Figure l is a fragmentary front elevational view of the vanes assembly.

Figure 16 is an elevational view of one vane unit.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts, it can be seen that numeral 5 represents a shell structure forming part of the head of the windmill, and from this depends the barrel 6 into which threads the tube l. The lower end of the tube l has the packing gland therein to prevent the escape 0f lubricant from the gear case. The tube l slidably receives the plunger 9, this plunger being provided with packing rings I6 and a pocket Il in the upper end thereof for receiving the lower end of the rod I2. The rod I2 is pivotally connected to the plunger 9 by a pin I3 passing through the plunger and lower end of the rod I2.

A bore in the plunger 9 snugly receives the lower rod section I4 and a pin I5 serves to fix the rod H to the plunger 9.

The lower rod section I4 extends downwardly through the packing gland and connects as at I8 to the utility means I'I.

More specifically, the packing gland 8 consists of a valve I8 threadedly disposed into the lower end of the tube 'I and into each end of this barrel i8 a bushing I9 is threadedly disposed. In the barrel I8 intermediate its ends is a ball bearing assembly consisting of the race plates |9-20 with the ball bearings 2| interposed between the same.

Packing units are also located in the barrel I8 one bearing against theinner end of each bushing I 9 and each of these packing units consists of a pair of plates 22-22 provided with circumierentially disposed ribs on the inner side thereof, while interposed between these plates is a body of felt 23.

Interposed between each of the innermost discs 22 and the corresponding ball bearing race plates Ill-2D is a coiled compressible spring 24. Obviously, any taking up or letting out of one spring 24 can be performed without affecting the nut I9 of the other spring', through the use of the aforementioned ball bearing assembly. Furthermore, the tensioning of the packing units expands the felt mounting 23 to snugly engage the inner side of the barrel I8 and also the rod I4.

The upper end: of the rod I2 is threadedly disposed into the collar 25 and this collar is recessed to accommodate ball bearings 26 which ride on the shank portion 21 of the gear 28. This gear 25 represents one of the planetary gears 28--29 and 3u, which mesh with the sun gear formation SI on t'he inner end of the air shaft 32.

It can also be seen that the inside of the head structure 5 is formed to provide the ring gear 33 with which the planetary gears 28--29V and 39 mesh. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, an annulus 34 divided into a pair of semi-circular sections'is bolted in place as at 35 so as to overlap the planetary gears and t'o prevent displacement of the same in relation with the ring gear 33.

It can also be seen that the head structure 5 is provided with a removable back plate 35 Which, as shown in Figure 8, is provided with a gear formation 3l with which the pinion formation 38 on the shank 2i of the planetary gear 28 meshes, and it will be observed that the shank 2l is provided with a small pintle 3S which rides against the shoulder 4D of the said plate 36. The plate 3S is held to the head by bolts or screws 4I. A closure plate 42 is provided for the top of the head and this can be removed to permit access to the interior of the head.

As shown in Figure 6, the shaft 32 is provided with a polygonal portion 43 at an intermediate point and a polygonal portion 44 at its outer end portion which merges with the threaded portion 45 and also with the threaded portion 46.

Figure 16 shows one of the vane units which consists of a hub 41 provided with the square opening 48 therein and the blades 49-49 radiating therefrom.

These blade units can be stamped from sheet metal, the outer units being arranged on the squared head portion 44 of the shaft 32, while the inner units are arranged on the squared portion 43 of the shaft. The hubs 47 of the inner group are banked against the shoulder 59 of the shaft by jam nuts 5l on the threaded portion 45, while the hubs of the outer group are banked against the shoulder 52 by a nut 53 on the threaded portion 45.

The blades of the inner and outer groups are brought into interlapping relation as suggested in Figure l and held in this manner by tie rods or Wires 54 trained through openings 55 in the blades. These tie rods or wires can have turnbuckles 55 therein.

To turn the tail structure 58, a handle 59 is provided on the tail frame and from this extends the chain Gil passing over the pulley @l to connect as at 62 to the eye 53 of, the inverted V- shaped connector 94 which extends through guide 65 on the head 5. This frame 54 has its lower end disposed through an annulus and provided with nuts 6l. The annulus 6G engages under the annulus 68 which is provided with a depending annular flange E9 overlapping the annulus 66 and extending downwardly from the flange 69 is the bail-like structure 'l0 which connects at its lower end to the control line 1l.

Obviously, by pulling on this control line, setting of the tail can be accomplished.

The brake mechanism consists of the vertical shaft 12 extending between the arms 'E3- '14 of the head structure 5. lThe lower end is squared as at 15 to seat in a square socket in the arm 14. A lower frame bar 13 of the tail 58 is swingable on the lower portion of the shaft l2, while the upper bar 'Vi of the frame is swingable on the upper portion of the shaft l2 and has the arm 18 passing under the arm 'i3 and extending upwardly to be connected by the rod 19 to the rocker 89 on the front portion of the head 5. This rocker 83 is provided with the foot portion 8| which bears against the rocker arm 82 and which at its lower end carries the pivotal brake shoe 83 operative against the smooth portion a of the shaft 32.

Located on the shaft 'I2 are the pair of freely rotatable gears 84 4between which is located the disc 85. The disc 85 is keyed as at 35 to the shaft 12 and has a pair of ears 88 projecting lat erally therefrom abridged by the pin 89. The pin 89 defines an opening 93 through which the shaft 9| is disposed and this carries the pair of pinions 92 which mesh with the gears 94. The upper end of the shaft 9i is bifurcated to pivotally receive the crank handle 93.

Obviously, when the gears 3&3 are thus rotated, tensioning or untensioning of the upper and lower springs 941-95, respectively, will result. The springs 94-95 are connected to the upper and lower gears 84-84 and also to the upper and lower frame bars 'l1-16 of the tail 58. To

prevent self adjusting of the tensioning means, the lugs 88 extend sufficiently far out from the disc 85 to permit the crank handle 93 to be dropped in between the same.

While the foregoing specification sets forth the invention in specific terms, it is to be understood that numerous changes in the shape, size, and materials may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed hereinafter.

Having described the claimed as new is:

1. A windmill construction comprising a wind operated vane, a rod structure operated by the vane, a vertical barrel, a packing gland in the barrel, a gear case mounted at the upper end of the barrel, said vane having a shaft extending into the case, said packing gland being adapted to prevent lubricant from escaping from the case and barrel, a sun gear carried by the inner end of the vane shaft, a ring gear fastened to the inside of the gear case, planetary gears meshing with the ring gear and the sun gear, an annulus, a stub shaft extending from one of the planetary gears and into the annulus, said rod being connected to the annulus.

2. A windmill construction comprising a wind operated vane, a rod structure operated by the vane, a vertical barrel, a packing gland in the barrel, a gear case mounted at the upper end of the barrel, said Vane having a shaft extending into the case, said packing gland being adapted to prevent lubricant from escaping from the case and barrel, a sun gear carried by the inner end of the vane shaft, a ring gear fastened to the inside of the gear case, planetary gears meshing with the ring gear and the sun gear, an annulus, a stub shaft extending from one of the planetary gears and into the annulus, said rod being connected to the annulus, said case being provided with a removable back plate insertable into a portion of the gear case, said plate provided with an annular grooveway having its opposed walls formed with teeth, said stuby shaft being provided with a pinion-like formation on its free end for mesh with the teeth of the opposed walls of the groove.

3. A windmill construction comprising a wind operated vane, a rod structure operated by the vane, a vertical barrel, a packing gland in the barrel, a gear case mounted at the upper end of the barrel, said vane having a shaft extending into the case, said packing gland being adapted to prevent lubricant from escaping from the case and barrel, a sun gear carried by the inner end of the vane shaft, a ring gear fastened tc the inside of the gear case, planetary gears meshing with the ring gear and the sun gear, an annulus, a stub shaft extending from one of the planetary gears and into the annulus, said rod being connected to the annulus, said case being provided with a removable back plate insertable into a portion of. the gear case, said plate provided with an annular grooveway having its opposed walls formed with teeth, said stub shaft being provided with a pinion-like formation on its free end or mesh with the teeth of the opposed walls of the groove, said plate provided with a shoulder portion inwardly of the said groove, said stub shaft provided with a reduced cylindrical extension for riding engagement with the shoulder.

invention, what is CHARLES H. WIGZELL. 

